Holidaymakers are being told to prepare for essential maintenance work happening on “one of the busiest” stretches of the M56.
Forming part of an “important” and “essential” wider maintenance project, National Highways will be is resurfacing sections of worn tarmac on both the eastbound and westbound carriageways between Junction 5 at Manchester Airport and Junction 6 at Hale Barns.
Some of the slip roads at junctions 5 and 6, as well as at Junction 4 for Wythenshawe, will also be resurfaced too.
All of the resurfacing and maintenance work – which also includes replacing some bridge joints and traffic detection loops in the road surface – will be done overnight starting from Monday 10 June, and because of the nature of it, occasional carriageway or slip road closures will be put in place while this is carried out.
The working hours will be between 9pm and 5am, or 7am on Saturdays, as according to National Highways, this is when the motorway is “at its quietest”.
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Delays are expected on a ‘busy’ M56 Manchester Airport route as resurfacing work takes place next month / Credit: Albert Bridge | Suhyeon Choi (via Unsplash)
The resurfacing programme includes a full closure of the eastbound carriageway between Junction 7 and Junction 5 en-route to the Airport for five nights from the evening of Monday 17 June to the morning of Saturday 22 June, while a further full closure of the eastbound carriageway between Junction 6 and Junction 4 is scheduled for the nights of Tuesday 11 and Wednesday 12 June, and Monday 8, Tuesday 9, and Wednesday 10 July.
The eastbound M56 is closed between Junction 6 and Junction 5 on Thursday 13 and Friday 14 June, Monday 24, Tuesday 25, and Wednesday 26 June, and Thursday and Friday 4 and 5 July.
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And finally, two slip road closures affecting journeys to the Airport will also be taking place on the eastbound exit at Junction 5 on Friday 28 June, and the westbound exit at Junction 5 on Wednesday 17 July.
Temporary closures and diversions will be in place from Monday 10 June onwards / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Diversions will, inevitably, be in place on all dates, and motorists heading to the Airport and beyond will be able to use an alternative motorway route during these closures.
Project Manager, Rob Williams, said National Highways is aiming to be “well out of the way” before the start of the school summer holiday period.
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“This is important and routine wear and tear work,” he explained.
“We’re working closely with the airport to ensure they are aware of our timetable and a small number of overnight closures, which will mean drivers needing to leave a little bit of extra time to get to work or check-in for flights.”
More Greater Manchester football matches called off as Storm Goretti sets in
Danny Jones
Yet more scheduled football matches in Greater Manchester and the surrounding regions have been postponed and/or cancelled due to Storm Goretti.
The increasingly cold, blustery and icy conditions moving over from France and across more parts of the UK have already caused schools to close, flights to be grounded, and plenty more disruption.
Another such inconvenience has come in the form of live sports, large swathes of which now look like they simply won’t be taking place.
One of the latest to be called off is Salford City‘s upcoming game against Swindon Town in the FA Cup this weekend, with various other games involving teams up and down the footballing pyramid now facing uncertainty over whether their third-round fixtures will go ahead as planned.
Ironically, this is just the tip of the iceberg, if you’ll pardon the very obvious pun.
Another game that was called off late last week, between Chadderton and FC Isle of Man, is yet to be rescheduled; the same is true of Rochdale AFC’s meeting with Brackley Town, Radcliffe v Oxford City, as well as games involving Bury, Stockport Town, Irlam, Cheadle Town, Prestwich Heys and more.
Other nearby outfits, such as Chorley, Warrington Rylands and Ramsbottom United, just to name a few, are also still unsure of when their next game will be.
In many cases, it is simply a matter of the grounds being largely or completely frozen and deemed unfit for use following pitch inspections.
Oldham Athletic – which has already been hit with plenty of snow and frost – yesterday confirmed that their Notts County clash wouldn’t be going ahead due to that very reason.
With winds of up to 90 miles per hour also being reported, yellow and even red weather warnings have been issued across various parts of the country, with people being urged to check their routes home from work by local authorities.
Storm Goretti should start calming down this evening (Fri, 9 January) and into Saturday morning, but the after-effects could still play havoc over the next few days.
For instance, over in Cheshire, Macclesfield FC are going so far as to call on nearby residents to help clear their playing surface from heavy snowfall.
So, if you’re in the area and fancy helping out, they could sure do with your help.
VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED
Macclesfield FC are once again requesting the help of the fanbase and the local community to help clear the remainder of the compacted snow from the surrounding areas of the https://t.co/fL99QEEJ4D Stadium.
Featured Images — Wikimedia Commons/The Manc Group
Travel & Tourism
Mandatory eye tests could be introduced for drivers over 70 in the UK
Emily Sergeant
Mandatory eye testing could be introduced in the UK as part of the first road safety strategy in more than a decade.
According to Government statistics, approximately four people die on Britain’s roads every day, with thousands more seriously injured each year, but through targeted action on speeding, drink and drug driving, not wearing seat belts, and mobile phone use, it’s expected that thousands of these tragedies can be prevented.
In fact, the new road safety strategy sets out an ‘ambitious’ plan to reduce deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads by 65% before 2035.
With the number of older drivers continuing to rise year on year, in line with Britain’s ageing population, a consultation on mandatory eyesight testing for those over 70 will be launched, the Government has announced, while options for cognitive testing will also be developed to protect all road users.
Mandatory eye tests could be introduced for drivers over 70 in the UK / Credit: David Travis (via Unsplash)
On top of this, measures to tackle inexperience behind the wheel by introducing a minimum learning period for learner drivers, and lowering the alcohol limit for driving for the first time since 1976 to help prevent causes of collisions, are also to be discussed.
This strategy sets out a new approach to reverse a decade of ‘stalled progress’, according to the Department for Transport (DfT).
It includes the internationally recognised Safe System approach, which acknowledges that while human error is inevitable, deaths and serious injuries are not, and rather than placing responsibility solely on individual drivers, the system ensures that road design, vehicle safety, enforcement and education work together to protect all road users.
We've launched a new Road Safety Strategy, aiming to cut deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads by 65% by 2035.
Key points include: – tougher action on drink driving – minimum learning periods for learner drivers – mandatory eye tests for older drivers
— Department for Transport (@transportgovuk) January 7, 2026
A new Road Safety Investigation Branch will be set up to analyse collision patterns and inform prevention strategies.
The branch will draw on linked police and healthcare data to identify root causes and make sure any interventions are more effectively targeted.
Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, described the strategy as a ‘turning point’, adding that: “We are taking decisive action to make our roads safer for everyone, from new drivers taking their first lessons to older motorists wanting to maintain their independence.
Emily Sergeant -
29th May 2024 
